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Baynes robbed of hero’s role as late call goes against Aussies in bronze medal loss

<p. Aron Baynes scored Australia’s first basket of the game and its last. His hook shot with 9.7 seconds left moved the Boomers that close to winning their first Olympic men’s basketball medal. But a dubious block call went against Patty Mills and the Aussies seconds later and Spain wound up winning the bronze medal game 88-87.

Sergio Rodriguez appeared to stumble as Mills backed out the way on an out-of-control drive. Mills was called for the foul and Rodriguez hit both free throws with 5.4 seconds to play to end scoring. Australia didn’t get a shot off after inbounding the ball in its frontcourt after a timeout as Spain deflected a pass and the ball rolled past half-court as the buzzer sounded.

Baynes didn’t have one of his better games, but the Pistons backup center hit two huge baskets. His left-handed hook shot opened scoring, but the Aussies trailed from that point until early in the third quarter. The lead went back and forth a dozen times down the stretch with Baynes hitting a baseline jump shot with 2:08 to play to give Australia an 82-81 lead.

A touch foul on Baynes guarding Pau Gasol in the post enabled Gasol – who set a personal best in Olympic scoring with 31 points, hitting 12 of 15 shots – to give Spain an 87-86 lead at the foul line with 29 seconds to play.

Baynes, averaging 10.1 points and a team-best 6.0 rebounds through seven games entering Sunday, finished with six points and four rebounds in 24 minutes. The Aussies were handicapped when Andrew Bogut picked up two fouls in the first two minutes of the third quarter to foul out.

With the Aussies already missing one of their big men – Cameron Bairstow, who suffered a shoulder injury during pool play – they had to play little-used Brock Motum, who like Baynes played college basketball at Washington State. Motum responded with 12 points and six rebounds in the second half.

Mills was brilliant in leading Australia with 30 points. Veteran big man David Andersen, also pressed into an expanded role with Bogut’s absence, finished with 15 points. He scored 13 in the first half and hit two big free throws with 35 seconds left after corralling a Mills missed jump shot and getting fouled. That gave the Boomers an 86-85 lead.

Andersen helped Australia close the first half on a 10-0 run after Spain opened the game’s biggest lead at 40-28 with four minutes left in the second quarter.